The present invention relates to an apparatus for arranging groups of a predetermined number of cigarettes which are to be delivered to a stacking device, in a process prior to the process for piling up cigarettes in plural layers having honeycomb patterns in order to enclose cigarettes in a package.
As known, cigarettes are enclosed in a package in the piled-up state to form honeycomb patterns, for example, 7 pieces for the bottom, 6 pieces for the intermediate and 7 pieces for the top. In this case, unless the cigarettes are continuously arranged in a constant pitch for each layer and in an intimately contacting manner with respect to each other, a stable pile of cigarettes cannot be obtained. Thus, it is required to arrange cigarette groups in a constant pitch which are to be sent into a stacking device.
In the prior art, the arrangement of cigarettes is conducted as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Post-Examination Publication No. 47(1972)-8600 and Japanese Patent Application Early Publication No. 57(1982)-198082, wherein a drum is formed of a plurality of grooves extending in the axial direction and connecting in a consecutive manner in the circumferential direction on the periphery thereof, and said plurality of grooves receive therein a piece of cigarette per one groove and then send it out, so that a group of a predetermined number of cigarette pieces in a constant pitch state are prepared. However, in the prior art, when a piece of cigarette is delivered into one of said arcuate supporting grooves on the arranging drum, the cigarettes supplied in a single row are obliged to be subjected to a pressing treatment in order to form continuous cigarette groups for transmitting into the arcuate supporting grooves in a consecutive manner by sending out the foremost end cigarette first. In this case, when the cigarettes which were supplied in a discontinuous manner and in a single row are formed into continuous cigarette groups, the force of impact is applied to the respective cigarettes which results in damage, deformation, etc. of the cigarettes. Furthermore, the cigarette groups under pressure render differences in pitch for each cigarette, because the filling amount of cigarette leaves is different for each cigarette. As a result, a pitch difference arises between the delivering side and the receiving side, which often creates such trouble as biting, etc. when the cigarettes are transferred from one drum to the other. Thus, the productivity is decreased. Furthermore, since the supply passage of the cigarettes is formed in a single row, the supply amount of the cigarettes is limited, thus rendering a bar for a high speed operation of the apparatus.